


Design Flaw

by incognitajones



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Gen, MayThe4th Treat, droid repair, friends help friends fix their wiring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23991217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incognitajones/pseuds/incognitajones
Summary: “Bodhi Rook.” Kay came to a stop directly in front of Bodhi, and the matte black of the droid’s new chassis swallowed up all the light reflected from the icy walls. “I need your assistance.”
Relationships: K-2SO & Bodhi Rook
Comments: 17
Kudos: 40
Collections: May the 4th Be With You Star Wars Fanworks Exchange 2020





	Design Flaw

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whalebone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whalebone/gifts).



“Bodhi Rook. Are you unoccupied for the next five to ten minutes?” 

“I can be.” Bodhi looked up from the small piece of borl wood he was attempting to carve into a dejarik piece. (Jyn wanted to switch games, because she was tired of losing to him at sabacc, but the only board they’d found on Hoth was missing two of its eight pieces.) “What’s up, Kay?”

Kay came to a stop directly in front of him, and the matte black of the droid’s new chassis swallowed up all the light reflected from the icy walls. “I need your assistance.”

“Really? For what?”

“A recurring short circuit in one of my cervical servomotors. I can’t access it in order to perform the required maintenance myself, which is annoying and inefficient.” 

Kay’s new voice was slightly higher and more warbly than his old one—there must have been a subtle difference in the speech processor, even though his new body looked identical to the old one—but his personality was just the same. 

Bodhi put his knife down. “I’m not much of a mechanic, at least when it comes to droids. Shouldn’t you ask one of the techs to help you out instead?”

“I do not allow the Alliance droid techs to perform maintenance on me. Mon Mothma approved my request that only Cassian and I be authorized to do it. But Cassian is not currently available.”

Right, Cassian was off base with Jyn on a scouting mission. “Sure, I can give it a try,” Bodhi said doubtfully. “If you talk me through it.”

“Don't be concerned. I will give you detailed instructions.” Kay opened a panel on his side and removed a microprobe and a tiny hexdriver, which he held out to Bodhi. “Here.”

Bodhi took the tools as Kay lowered himself to the floor, his long legs sticking out at rigid angles, and bent his cranium forward. “You’ll need to access the panel in the middle of my dorsal plate. Can you see it?” 

“Yeah, I’ve got it.” The thin line of the seam in the metal was barely visible, but the microprobe was easily able to open it. 

“Somewhere in there, I believe a loose filament is causing an intermittent short. Please locate and secure it.” Those were hardly detailed instructions, but before Bodhi could ask any follow-up questions, Kay grumbled, “I don’t understand why my joints weren’t designed in such a way that I could do this myself.”

To distract Kay from his favourite dissertation on the folly of organic beings designing droids to resemble their flawed physical forms, Bodhi asked, “So why can’t the regular droid techs perform maintenance on you? Not qualified?” He squinted at a tiny screw that did look a bit wobbly—maybe tightening that would do it. 

“They don’t appreciate my unique nature,” Kay said. “When Cassian brought me back to the Alliance after he re-programmed me, they recommended installing a restraining bolt and a new behavioural parameters module. I assume both were intended to make me less independent.”

Bodhi grimaced. “That’s disturbing.” He gave the screw one more delicate tweak and checked all the others he could see inside the open panel.

“I agree. Fortunately, so did Cassian. He vetoed the work order. But I refuse to give them a chance to alter me if I don’t have to.”

“They didn’t know you then. They were probably scared of you,” Bodhi pointed out. Not that that excused their actions, but... “I’m sure they've learned better by now.”

Kay was silent except for the faint hum emanating from the power source inside his chassis. “Perhaps. I see no reason to trust them yet. Not when I have more reliable help available.”

“You mean me?” Bodhi couldn’t help smiling. He closed the panel and tapped Kay on the shoulder. “Let’s see if I’ve fixed you first.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Partly inspired by [this tidbit of extended canon](https://daily-droidcaptain.tumblr.com/post/188166462771).


End file.
